


Spite

by orphan_account



Category: Mianite Awakening
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mianite Awakening - Freeform, m:a
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-23 00:37:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12494476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	1. Enemy

_“My people do not act in such a rash way as you might think.”_

Taylor looked over, having lied down with Botan atop her tree to stare at the stars. She thought he’d stay silent the whole time, just wanting some peace and quiet. “What do you mean?” She asked, watching him as his onyx eyes glimmered liked the stars they watched.

_“Our rival race tends to believe that we were created for the pure purpose of destruction. Mainly of our universe,” Botan blinked, “that is a foolish assumption. Believing that they only exist to combat us. We were not created for eternal war. We are not the enemies here.”_

“Who is?” Taylor asked, not looking away from him.

He turned his head, staring at her blankly as he spoke, _“themselves. We are our own enemy. And so are you. Everyone is rivaled with themselves. There is no competition with others— there shouldn’t be. Foolish isn’t it? Wanting to assume that your only purpose is to compete with other races. That’s how you become dangerous. Destructive.”_

“So… because of what your rivaling race does, or is doing, they are the true enemy?”

 _“But in hindsight, it is themselves. They should only worry about themselves, not the fate of others. Because the more they interfere with the lives of others, the more they kill. The more they destroy._

_“It’s not recommended to fight fire with fire.”_

“I see,” Taylor hummed. “What made you say this?”

He turned his head and looked back at the stars. _“Just seeing the serenity of space, I guess I just wanted to talk about it.”_

“You’ve been there, huh?”

 _“A multitude of times,”_ he said, _“in fact as you know my people were the first to exist. We existed before time.”_

“You’ve seen it all,” She whispered, looking back at the stars as well.

 _“No. No I was not the first to be created. My father was part of the first generation.”_

“Did you ever meet him?” She asked.

 _“Once,”_ Botan said, _“he was murdered in front of me when I was a child. Our rivals had wanted war, we were apparently too dangerous. And my father was one of the top class warriors and one of the main targets. Although at the time he was trying to get me at a safe place.”_

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

_“Don’t be. I guess that’s what happens when you rival against an arrogant race. They’re so full of them because their light of their physical forms can pierce through ours… they believe if they’re bright enough they’d be the most superior.”_

“But they aren’t are they?” 

_“No. We’re not a fan of telling ourselves how superior we are, but being the first to exist means that we’ve experienced much more than them.”_

“With intelligence, no one truly rivals your race,” Taylor muttered.

_“Indeed. We’re trained that way, to see everything with a third perspective. If you get what I mean. We’re also trained at a young age to fight for ourselves and our people. We do not concern ourselves with the concerns of others unless forced to do so.”_

“What about you?” 

Botan fell silent, blinking. _“I guess you could say some of us are different in that way. We all leave our people for our own reasons.”_

_  
_

“What was yours?” 

_“I left because of my father’s death. If something like them could kill someone like him… I would not take the chance of being the Emperor’s guard. Which was what I was chosen to do. That was most of my training I guess. But I quickly left when I learned what it was for,”_ he explained, _“I left to another world I saw fit. Far from our territory.”_

“Was that ours?” 

_“No. Sort of. But no,”_ he said, _“I have said once before that I’m not from this realm, as cliché as that sounds nowadays. I’m my universe there was a world like this, and probably still is. It was what this world was like before being wiped out.”_

“Wiped? What was it like?” She asked.

Botan fell silent once again. Starting upon the stars as they shone in the night sky, the crescent moon lighting the grass in its pale light. 

_“I cannot cover that.”_

“Oh,” She hummed and dropped the question and decided to ask another. “What did you do in that world?”

 _“Research,”_ he responded, _“I became interested in… I guess microorganisms.”_

“Oh?” She sat up in her spot, interested, and turned to look at him as he still lied on the grass, staring at the stars.

 _“I worked with my partner in breeding diseases and just… experimenting with genes, ya know?”_ He sighed heavily, _“but at some point one of our experiments got loose and we couldn’t find it. Sooner or later the testing facility in Russia just a few kilometers away found it and tracked it back to our building…”_

Taylor stared at him when he trailed off. He may have a blank stare on his face but she swore he faltered for a second. She didn’t want to rush him, so she pulled one of her knees towards her chest and rested her head on it, watching him as he closed his eyes. 

_“They found the liberty to eliminate us after ransacking our research while we were trying to find the loose experiment. My partner made it back to the building before I did and…”_ he paused, breathing, _“I returned to him at the front door, dying.”_

“Oh god…” Taylor covered her mouth as she watched him. 

He frowned. _“I couldn’t stay then. Not after all of my research has been destroyed, and not after the one I loved was murdered.”_

“I…” Taylor didn’t know what to say anymore. She wasn’t aware he had a lover back then or that he came here because of his loss of the people he loved. 

_“I came here as… I guess you could say to start anew. A clean slate. I came to forget, but as I continue to be reminded by the stars I start to regret my decisions on life. Trying to ignore what happened.”_

“I don’t think you need to regret that, Botan, it happens and I believe your loss has made you stronger.”


	2. Useless

Botan sighed, his breath shaky but his face stone cold. He was always able to hide his emotions, but his black opal eyes showed everything he felt and everything he knew and saw. 

He felt a lot of pain. 

He messed with his gloves, having taken them off for once and just stretching the fabric. He wasn’t really sure what to do anymore. 

He should just leave. 

He looked up beside him after feeling the bed he sat on move slightly. His face did not change, but admittedly his heart skipped a beat when he saw the one he shared the bed with. 

“Are you okay?” Taylor asked. “You seem off.”

“I… I could be better,” he struggled to get out. His voice weak and shaky. He swallowed dryly, he hated when he sounded like this. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, keeping her distance, knowing physical contact could make him uncomfortable— especially now when he’s unstable.

“I… I-I’m not sure,” he said, “I’m not… s-sure what’d I’d s-say.”

“That’s okay.” She thought for a second. “What… how do you feel? If you can pinpoint it.”

“It… it’s fine d-don’t worry a-about it. It ha… it happens.”

She noticed how much he struggled with this. His voice quivering and his breath shaking. How he didn’t make eye contact with her but instead looked through her or even trying to find a spot in the room to focus on. His posture was sloped, he never slouched like this unless he was distressed and she knew that. Whenever he slouched like this she knew never to touch him… he’s shutting himself out and it’s just best not to touch him unless he’s the one to approach first. 

At least she understood. 

Taylor restrained herself. Holding her hands onto her lap and just watching Botan. She had a hard time figuring out what he needed but she knew he needed someone here. She just wanted to give him one big hug. But she knew it would just make everything worse. 

She just wanted to know what was wrong. She wanted to know what she could do. But all she could, she knew, was to sit back and listen and watch. 

That’s what Death wants her to do. He wants her to protect him from himself.

Botan does not deserve whatever is causing this problem. 

“I-I… um. I. Ah.” Botan let go of his gloves and ran his fingers through his hair, closing his onyx eyes which shimmered with tears before they stained his face while he kept his hands in his dark hair. He let out a long shaky breath, trying to calm down. 

Taylor sat there and watched. Feeling completely useless. She hated when this happened to a friend, but she’s never had it happen at this extent. She felt stuck, didn’t know what to do. All she could do was hum gently and say in a soothing voice, “It’s going to be okay, Botan. You got this. Just take your time. Deep breaths.”

Botan set his hands down on his lap, his black gloves having been placed beside him. “O-o-okay,” He stammered, “I-I-I got this.” He took in a deep breath, having tilted his head back, and slowly exhaled out. He repeated this a few times before moving his head down again and exhaling once more. “I… I’m good.”

“That’s good,” Taylor said, her voice coming out as a whisper. “Just take your time.”

“I…” He clasped his hands together, his knuckles turning white. “I-I… I d-don’t u-understand.”

“I think I get it,” she nodded, resisting the need to give him a hug. 

“W-what d-did I do to th-them?” 

“Nothing. They’re just jealous, Honey.”

“O-of wha-what?” He asked, looking up at her with his bloodshot onyx eyes, tears running down his cheeks.

“I… I’m not sure. I…” she sighed. “You’re definitely a lot better than them. Maybe they’re just afraid of losing me to you of all people. They don’t want to see the person you’re trying to be, but instead they’re seeing the person you’re not.”

Botan looked down at his hands, releasing them and laying them flat on his lap. Even as they lie flat they still shook along with his arms and whole posture. Gods, He was a mess. She just wanted him to be happy. 

“Just let it out,” Taylor said quietly. 

“I… I-I don’t know what t-to do,” Botan stuttered. “I-I don’t kn-know anymore.”

“I understand how that feels. Just let it out.”

Botan sighed heavily, taking in a deep breath and holding it for a few seconds before letting it out. 

“Do you need a hug?” She asked and was surprised when Botan grabbed her by her arms and pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his head on her shoulder. “It’s okay,” she spoke into Botan’s dark hair, “it’s alright. Just let it out.”


	3. Endless

“Botan?” Taylor started, walking up to Botan while he sat at his bed messing with his black gloves. 

“Hm?” He hummed, looking up at her with curious eyes. 

“I was wondering if Death had any jobs for either of us…” she shrugged, “especially since he hasn’t had me do anything yet. I was wondering if he had any plans for me.” 

Botan stared at her, not with any ill intentions but more like he was contemplating. “I… can't disclose that. It’s disrespectful for me to know or even ask. You would have to ask him yourself.”

“Oh. How would I do that?”

“I can take you to him. We have a meeting tomorrow anyway so I don’t think he’ll mind if we stay the night there. Just tell your friends you’re exploring again.”

“Oh okay,” she smiled, “thank you.”

“Mhm,” he hummed but then spoke again, “there are some things you’d need to know first.”

“Oh?”

“One of them is that it’s disrespectful to our people, and seen as a threat, if we were to speak aloud. Especially towards a person of higher authority.”

“How would I talk to him then?”

“Telepathic. We’re a very telepathic race. Even if you weren’t going to throw your thoughts at him, he would know exactly what you’re thinking. And so do I.”

“Your race constantly know what each other is thinking about? That’s not… intruding at all?”

“Not to us anymore. It may seem intruding to others but it’s really not. We have the ability to shut out certain ranks’ thoughts— i.e. the emperor or even Death.”

“So you can’t shut out mine?” 

“No. I’ve tried. It’s because of how sensitive I am to others, I have a harder time than others do when it comes to shutting out thoughts.”

“So how come it’s normal?”

“Telepathy? It’s rude to speak aloud because of our sensitive hearing. I speak right now and another person on the other side of the planet could still hear me, as long as they’re the same race,” he explained, “our voice also carries easily. Which is why only ones of higher authorities may speak aloud without permission so they can get word out.”

“Are you of high authority?”

“No. In my race, I am middle class, yet that doesn’t mean I have authority. But like my father, I am a highly trained warrior which gives me more authority, but I still can’t speak aloud when around my people unless given permission.”

“Will Death ever give you permission to speak aloud?” 

“Yes. He does not mind if I speak. But he’d have to tell me first. That is why I want you to wait to speak.”

Taylor sat down beside Botan and watched him as he fiddled with his gloves again, stretching them. She did not touch him, she knew he wouldn’t want to be touched unless he makes it clear that it’s fine. She knew it made him uncomfortable. 

“What’s your meeting going to be about?”

“Who knows,” Botan shrugged, “it’s mostly gonna be about Nick or maybe about what to do with Omelette. Or maybe about you. Or maybe about what Death wants me to do next.”

“Oh.”

“The possibilities are endless,” Botan smirked and slyly nudged Taylor with his elbow. 

She shook her head, suppressing a laugh. 

“Come on,” Botan stood, “go tell your friends you’ll be exploring for the next couple of days.”

“Ah yeah I almost forgot about that,” Taylor laughed lightly and made her way out of her tree. She knew her friends would want to come with, to make sure she doesn’t get lost or killed, but she was sure she could get away with going so early as to keep them from coming with. Since they only follow when it’s late. 

  


_“Please do not speak aloud from this point on,”_ Botan’s voice resonated through Taylor’s thoughts. _“It may be hard at first, but make sure your mind is clear so Death is not bombarded by your thoughts.”_

Taylor nodded, taking in a deep breath. Her and Botan, before arriving at Death’s temple, had done some meditation exercises to make sure she knew how to properly clear her mind. It was difficult, he knew that, because of the voices in her head. She wondered for a split second if Death would find it repulsive. 

_“Death knows of your spirits,”_ Botan sighed, of course hearing what she thought, _“He does not mind. But I ask for their silence as well.”_

Taylor hummed, hoping her ‘Anger issues’ would understand, but their silence proved they would behave. They were all curious enough to be quiet anyway. 

Botan walked first, seeing that Taylor didn’t want to go. It was like one big long dark throne room, and at the throne sat Death. His scythe rester on his lap as he watched Botan and Taylor walk up and kneel. 

Her hands had become clammy and she wasn’t sure what to do. But she breathed slowly, trying to clear her mind. The flowers covering her had become orange and spotted with bright yellow. She could feel Botan’s concern beside her, and she when she looked her she saw his eyes closed and his head down. 

She wasn’t sure what to do. 

****

**“A short or long visit?”** She heard a low rumble throughout the throne room. She knew that had to be Death. 

_“Long. We have a meeting tomorrow and Taylor had a question,”_ Botan explained, his eyes still closed, _“I was hoping to stay for a few days until the meeting is over.”_

 **“I see,”** Death hummed, the rumbling reverberating from his throat sounded like a gator or any other big reptile. Maybe like the Ender Dragon, she wasn’t sure. **“You may speak and stand.”**

“Thank you, Sir,” Botan nodded and stood, clasping his gloved hands behind his back. Taylor stood as well, feeling uncomfortable with the look that Death gave her. 

Death sighed, **“Go find your room, Botan, I assume you’ll both be staying in the same room.”**

Botan said nothing while Taylor stood still. She was uneasy and just wasn’t sure what to do while Death stared at her. 

****

**“What do you need to ask?”**

“I was wondering if you have any jobs planned for me?” She asked, trying to speak quietly. 

****

**“Do not be afraid of your volume,”** Death chuckled. His voice, the more she hears it, started to sound familiar. **“And about your job… Taylor come here.”**

“I… okay…” she slowly walked up the steps to his throne.

Death moved his scythe, setting it on the floor beside his feet. He leaned closer to her and and stared into his bright white eyes. She wasn’t sure what he was trying to show her. 

“Do not tell Botan,” she heard him speak. 

“Okay I won’t,” she nodded slowly, still watching him. She wasn’t sure what to feel. 

Death had turned in his throne so he could be facing her. He moved his hands to hold the sides of his face, which seemed to be a big, black snarling wolf. The fur bunched up where his hands were as he seemed to be pulling off his own face, although he made no sign of being in pain. With a hard tug, he pulled off the wolf’s head and set it down where the scythe was. 

Taylor had visibly froze, seeing Death’s face for the first time. 

“You look… just like him,” she mumbled slowly.

****

**“Yeah…”** he agreed slowly before correcting her, **“I mean technically if you think about it. He’s the one that looks just like me.”** She has noticed that when he spoke, his lips didn’t move. So the echo in his voice wasn’t from the walls, it was from his voice in her mind. It was an odd sensation, listening to someone in their head. And him chuckling made her realize her mind had been running a million miles an hour still. 

“Dammit,” she groaned. 

****

**“It’s odd. I understand.”** Death said slowly. **“It takes some getting used to. I’m sure Botan wouldn’t mind helping, if he hasn’t already.”**

“Oh he’s helped a lot,” Taylor nodded. “It’s hard for me sometimes.”

****

**“Yes.”**

“But. About the job…” she trailed off.

****

**“Yes, well”** he started. He seemed anxious, yet his face didn’t show any of it. **“I wouldn’t like to put any type of burden on anyone, but your job is literally just to keep Botan away from the things he’s trying to protect you from.”**

“It is?”

****

**“Yes. I know he has told you about our race’s true enemy. Any race’s true enemy,”** Death explained, **“his enemy is himself. And I want you to keep him from destroying himself over you.**

****

**“He would do anything for you, but to kill himself for you is not recommended. I need you to keep him away from that.”**

“I will, Sir,” Taylor bowed her head. 

**“Thank you.”**


	4. Voice

“S-so-sorry…” Botan gritted his teeth. He just wished it could end. “I…I-I-I’m t-trying.”

“It’s alright, Honey,” Taylor whispered, watching Botan curiously beside her on the bed. They’ve been practicing all day with Botan’s voice, hopefully alleviating his stutter. She knew it wouldn’t work, but she could only hope. 

Besides, Botan was the one who wanted the practice. 

“I-I…” Botan frowned. “O-okay…” he took in a deep breath. 

“Oh, god dammit,” Taylor groaned to herself after she checked her phone. “Ome’s on his way.”

“O-okay…” Botan mumbled. 

Taylor stood and walked out of their room, Botan following shortly after. The two ended up in the foyer, Botan standing just behind her while Omelette and Dallas jumped down the entrance of the tree. 

“Hey, Tay—“ Omelette looked over and saw Botan. “Oh. Hey,” he frowned. 

Botan bowed his head, albeit very nervously. Taylor noticed how his onyx eyes flickered between the two that arrived but he stilled stood still as a statue. He was stiff, very tense. She could tell he didn’t want to be here. 

_“You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to, Botan,”_ she thought, hoping he would hear her. 

_“I wouldn’t want to leave you alone to them,”_ She heard his voice as clear as day echo in her thoughts, _“I don’t trust them around you.”_

She smiled. _“I understand. But if you need to leave, please do.”_

Botan nodded and bowed his head before quickly leaving. 

“What’s wrong with him this time?” Dallas asked, crossed her arms. 

“Oh,” Taylor laughed lightly, “we were practicing with his speaking.”

“But he can speak?” Ome mumbled. 

“It’s a speech impediment,” Taylor said, “he has a pretty bad stutter and is trying to practice out of it.”

“I don’t think that’ll work,” Dal frowned.

“Yeah. I know. But he’s trying his best,” Taylor mumbled, a frown playing on her face as well. 

The three talked for awhile, and without the presence of Botan two felt more comfortable. Although Taylor did not. She felt bad for him and wanted him to enjoy his time. She wanted him to be accepted for once. 

“You okay, Taylor?” Omelette asked. 

“No,” she admitted. In fact she spoke a little harshly and felt a pang of regret. “No I’m not,” she didn’t let the regret get to her, “all of you have been treating Botan so wrong. He has done _nothing_ to you. He has never done anything to you. And if he has it’s his job. He doesn’t like his job, but if he quits he dies. He’ll collapse out of nowhere and just… die. And he doesn’t want that. And neither do I. But the way you treat him, sometimes I hear him, he wants to quit just to die. And I know that’s something _you_ want, but that’s not something either of us do.

“You need to treat him right.” She turned and left the room, going downstairs to find Botan. She wasn’t going to deal with anyone. “I’m sorry,” Taylor spoke once she made it to their room, sitting down beside Botan on the bed. “I wish they weren’t so mean to you sometimes.”

She kept her hands to herself for a moment until Botan had leaned closer and rested his head on her shoulder. 

“Do-don’t w-worry about i-it,” he sighed. Taylor said nothing as she rubbed his back and leaned into him as well, resting her head on his. 

  


“Hello, Death,” Taylor smiled lightly. She still remembered when he revealed himself and she was still shocked about it. 

**“Hello, Taylor.”** He said, sitting back in his throne. **”what do you wish to know?”**

“I wanted to ask about Botan.”

**“I see.”**

“His voice—“

**”I know exactly what you want to ask,”** he smiled lightly, the most emotion he’s ever shown towards her. Maybe because in The Shadows everyone is family **“Many of us cannot speak aloud. Our voices were taken from us wrongfully. We’ve lived for so many centuries without a voice that we’ve evolved to speak through minds. Because of this, we have lost the ability to speak as a whole. In fact, we can barely even make a small noise.”**

“Oh,” Taylor mumbled.

**”The fact that Botan can actually form words the way he does is already a big feat that our race can never reach. He is special in that way, which gives him a higher rank than most of us. Although, he is still below me. But he was chosen by the emperor for more than just a guard.”**

“I… Don’t know if I understand.”

**”You won’t want to.”**


	5. Unwanted

**[The writing is messy and small… almost illegible with blotches of wet ink which dried on the paper. Almost like the author had been in distress as they wrote.]**

You don’t seem to understand. 

I have done nothing to you in the past, yet you claim I’ve done you wrong. I have done nothing compared to you, Huitzilopochtli. No crime could compare to what you’ve done to countless worlds. Countless species going extinct.Yet… People here seem to trust you as if you’ve done nothing wrong. Yet, they do not trust even a hair on me and I have never met any one of you in my entire life and you treat me as if you know everything I have done.

Being delved into the learnings of many races I have learned quite a few things just from humans alone. ‘One should not judge a book by it’s cover,’ is what I’ve learned the human race likes to say. Which means that one should never judge someone by how they look. How they dress. The color of their skin. Their heritage.

They are not always as you perceive them.

I believe you should take up on such knowledge. You could definitely learn a few things from just one race. Much more than if you were to destroy them the same as you did with others.

You might as well now.

You did the same to my race, and we nearly reached extinction because of you. Yet we did not attack. We did nothing.

There was no point.

Maybe… maybe if your people were to listen to the humans, you too would learn how to see our intentions and see how we are peaceful folk. Just as Taylor has.

She sees us for who we are inside, and not for who others perceive us to be from stories. She looks past our cover. 

Our intention is not war. Not destruction and chaos as you say we are.

We live to learn and understand. To expand and explore.

Yet, so far, you have proven me that your race is the absolute embodiment of destruction. Hatred. 

I guess in some ways, we are just like the human race. Two sides of their coin, you could say. 

All one. Yet nothing alike. 

  


You may not understand. Yet right now, neither do I. I came to escape my problems and start anew, yet I also came here to expand my knowledge. What about this World was so different than mine?

When I came here. I saw you. And I’ve never seen a race like yours. I wanted to learn. I needed research. So I stayed behind and took notes.

I have so many notes that I wish to show and expand on. Yet now I know you will never see them because of your tendency to burn what you do not like.

As I am an expert on this research of behavior, genes, psychology… I cannot list them all at the top of my head as it has been the most cloudy it has ever been in years. In fact, I cannot remember the last time my mind has been so cluttered. So stressed. So anxious. I have heard so much. I have learned so much. Yet here I am, still confused. So conflicted. 

Your statements about me. All of you. All of your statements about me. 

No one wants me. And I don't understand why. I don’t understand what I have done to deserve such hatred. 

This is the one thing where my research cannot reach. My studies may not be able to reach such a feat. It is like my voice. No one in my race has been able to speak for so long, our voices taken from us wrongfully, yet here I am with a voice like my father’s yet… not as clear. 

It’ll never be the same. I can never be like him.

I never even got to see him past a few years of my life. 

Because the only one who is allowed to hate is I. 

Because the only one who has wronged the race is you. 

You have wronged me. My family. 

You were the one who has led to so many deaths in my race. You were the one who has murdered countless of my people. 

Yet you are the one who seems to deserve the most respect. 

All because you like to cook. 

All because you are… “changed.”

You are not changed. You are the same. You will never change. 

Because that murderous tendency. The urge to destroy. is still within you. Because that is always taking out on me. 

Why?

Why is it always me?

Why can’t you just leave me alone?

Why can’t I just live my life with the one person I love?

The only one person that gives me happiness.

The only one person who seems to care. Who wants to understand.

But it’s just like everywhere else that I have been. I’m not allowed to have such a luxury because of where I come from. Who I come from. 

I guess I will never have such a luxury. 

Maybe that’s all I want nowadays. Is to be loved. Is to be cared for. 

To have someone there for me. 

But it’ll never happen. 

Because you will always take them from me.

**[The next few pages are ripped out. The last page of the book featuring only a few paragraphs, the letters finally big enough to not have to squint at.]**

Sometimes I wish I wasn’t like this. Sometimes I wish that I wouldn’t be such a mess. Yet I am not perfect. But perfection is just an ideal. Something that even a superior race can not reach. No one can reach perfection unless they perceive themselves as perfect. But even then would they understand? Would they let such a distorted lense block their view of the world? 

I still have things to learn. And sometimes I just wish I would never get so off topic as this note for you had flown out of perspective. 

I should have never come here. I should have stayed out of your perception of existence. I should have ended it then. But yet I strive to know more. 

As the humans say: **the curiousity killed the cat. Yet satisfaction brought it back.**

But my main motivation… if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here. Her protection is my priority, not yours.

_~Botan_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo… 5th part I’ve posted today. Sorry for the spam but now I’m done for the night. I hope you enjoy and I hope to see some feedback, it would really help and I do appreciate it a ton.


	6. Father

“I-I d-don’t wa-want you t-to have t-to mo-ove a-again.” 

“Yeah. I don’t want to move either. I don’t plan on it anytime soon,” Taylor sighed, sitting on the couch in the living room. 

“I do not want them to hurt you. I do not want to see you burn again,” his voice echoed through her thoughts. He had been sitting with her on the couch, resting his head on hers. 

“Again?” She thought. “What do you mean?” 

“I…” Botan stopped. He didn’t respond and instead fell silent for th next few minutes. 

“It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you’re not comfortable with it.” 

“Thank you, My Queen.” Botan smiled lightly and closed his eyes. “Maybe one day they will learn from your kindness.” 

“I don’t know. They don’t seem to believe me anymore. They don’t trust me anymore.” 

“I understand. But I will be here for you. And you for me. They may not understand you, but I do. I will listen.” 

“Thank you.” 

Botan exhaled through his nose lightly and shifted his head to where his chin was what was placed against her head. “I do not want to see you hurt. I will protect you with all I have. Even if it means my own end.” 

“As will I.” Taylor didn’t want to say anything. As soon as the thought of what she discussed with Death popped up she pushed it away as quickly as possible. She hoped Botan didn’t feel the change. 

“I am concerned for you,” he said, causing her heart to drop immediately. 

“As am I with you,” she smiled smuggly. She knew he heard it. She knew he wanted to know. But she was specifically told by Death not to say. Would she betray Botan’s trust over Death’s word? 

No. No she wouldn’t. 

“Death has revealed a secret to me,” she started, the emotional link they shared when sharing minds let her feel what he felt as he spoke. The strings of their emotions intertwining. “He told me not to say, but I feel as if you should know.” 

Botan stayed silent, she could feel the strings of his curiosity pulling at her anxiousness. 

“So… he showed me what he looked under his mask.” 

“He is not one to mess with. To percieve him wrong would cause a—“

“He looks just like you, Botan,” she interrupted him pulling her head back from under his and looking at him. He froze, and their connection broke. 

He didn’t know what to do. Was it really him? 

“You mean…” their connection intertwined again. “Why didn’t he ever tell me? I have been working for him for so long. He should’ve told me.” 

“I feel like he was afraid to lose you. And if he told you, he would be forced to… I’m not sure…”

“I understand.” 

“He really does care about you. In fact, he told me my job. He wants me to keep you sane and safe. He wants me to keep you from blinding yourself with love and destroying yourself. As you are you’re true Enemy.” 

Botan stayed silent. Staring at Taylor. 

“You mean a lot to him. And to me,” Taylor said, moving her hand to grasp on of his. 

“So do you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack sorry about this. This turned in a completely different direction than I thought it would. 
> 
> Feedback is nice. 
> 
> Ah I wasn’t gonna use italics for this one yet since they both speak through minds the majority of the time, which is why Botan stops stuttering the way he does. Not right now but I’m edot it later.
> 
> (God I hate how short these are)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is a series that I plan on working on for a bit. I’m more motivated with this than anything right now. 
> 
> I apologize for any spelling/grammar errors, but I would still like some feedback. 
> 
> (I’ve been writing this on my phone so almost times the errors don’t pop out at me until I read it after it’s posted.)


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